The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1887-12-17
"a DANInL COME 10 JUDO asrENr.

SSouth CaIcitnR on tho Agricultural Col.
* Iege Bnsiness. ~ S,sB * 3SS5
South Carolina is now being agitated
from the mountains TO the sea, ovor
the proposition to establish an Agri-
cultural and Meohanical College, copied
after our own pot humbug.
The farmers of the State are told
that the institution is for their benefit
and their sons will be taught scientific
agriculture, whereby they can out.
strip their fathers I'm the preservation
or reclamation of their lands and in
the production of crops, and their
class prejudices arc being. aroused to
secure their active support of tho
scheme, which, if adopted, will re-
bound to the interest of the profess
sionall classes. the swell planters aud
the educated gentry, who secure en-
ployment at tho college.
Mississippi has travelled the road
South Carolina is now importuned to
try, and it is q pity our Palmetto
brethren do not seem to be sufficiently
posted to profit hy our experience.
Almost daily we receive letters from
different portions of tho State asking
for, information concerning the work.
ings Of our Agricultural and Mechani-
cal College, and we have, when we
could, furnished our correspondents
with short biography of the. Missis-
sippi Tombstone Industry" which in
six years. operations and after ex-
pending 1886, 600, turns out tVo scien-
tific farmers having faith enough in
their theoretical education to attempt
to put 1t to practical utility.
Our school has now entered its
eighth year; has supported in elegance,
luxury and ease since it's opening q
small army of we'll dressed and highly
cultured people, (most of whom never
tried farming as q business, and not
one of whom ever made a SUCCESS as u
farmer,) has expended Of the peoples
money about 100000, and we defy its
officers to namo ten Of its graduates
who are to-day engaged in practical
agriculture.
Ton rich counties in tho State fur
nish moro than half the attendance; {;
twonty-one counties have no represen-
tation at oil at the college, and tho
assessment rolls Of Oktibbeha county
show that tho property valuation as q
whole has not Increased in the imme-
diate vicinity Of the Agricultural and
Mechanical College as It has in other
portions of the State. We assert, and
defy successful contradiction that the
tax rolls show, that the land of a
member of the Board Of Trustees
lying adjacent to the college farm has
depreciated In valuo 25 per cent. since
tho establishment of the college in
sight of his homo.
We have had some rich experience,
also, with our mlniflcently paid
faculty, who devote g good portion Of
their time travelling around over tho
State, holding farmers institutes (?)
and keeping tho people Impressed with
tho wonderful work thoy arc doing
and tho great necessity fol- further and
bigger appropriations, and this too
while their places are filled by subs,
generally under graduates of tho col.
leges, who are also paid ont : Of the
State Treasury.
Wo illustrate: Our Professor Of
Agriculture, whose last report shows
he cxpends $4,000 in farm operations
and gets back $1,000 worth of pre=
ducts, straddlos tho hobby: "Our
worn out lands ond how to reclaim
them" and he gravoly tells our farm
Gre 70 SOW cow pears and turn them
ccss, rotate and diversity crops, and
our lands," he says, will bloom and
blossom as tho rose."
And for this kind Of advice our pro.
ducers arc expected to pay him $4,000
per annnm and furnish him nice
house to 1.-Two In, and at tho same limo
pay his assistants 5000 or $500 to
attend to the duties Of his department
in tho lecture room and on the college
farm. BAIL
Tho advice and experience Of ono
such farmer as Dixon, Of Georgia, is |
of more value to agriculture than oil |
the college faculties in America, unless
others are endowed with more practi-
cability than ours have ever displayed.
Ours are wonderful theorists, but
practical in nothing except in lobby
ing big appropriations ont Of the |
treasury.
1t is amusing to ia to observe in the |
discussion Of the question In South |
Carolina, that ths friends OF the col. |
leSs tnsSss thar they can establish one |
and run ID wishous additional taxation.
We thoG2hr 40. too, at the outset, and
we ia e'Ynan30n with other members Of |
:hss original Board Of Trustees argued |
%Tdb nssg Legislators that II they would |
aPtNapritsSs 8f0O, 900 TO purchase the |
kt1& aad sSsss the necessary bnildings,
aae1 taeF glys us the insignificant sum |
o. S2fgs sGUy per snnum for three years |
we would make the institution self. |
sustaining thereafter. But was 1t go? |
Lea the $500, 600 in State bonds issued |
two years ago to defray tho expenses
Of our too numerous State institutions;
the additional levy Of one mill all
valorem tax and the enormous increase |
In privilege taxes answer.
Wc want to say TO our South Caro-.
lima frionds another thing in this con. |
nection and wo are done. Should |
they determine to burden themselves
with an Agricultural and Mechanical |
College they will find it will only bo |
beginning, and erc five years roll |
around, there will bo demand for |
another State institution or two. The !
elephant must have mate. lie can
forage moro successfully. 1t Is q great |
deal easier to secure satisfactory ap.
preparations, when there Is number |
of pampered institutions to make |
common cause, than when one is CON-
pclled to 60 it alone.
Such has been Mississippi's lamcnta-
BILE experience, from the direful effects
OF which our next Legislature will,
Wc trust, make manly effort IN ax